Mind your body: visualizing the dancer you want to become.

Imagine you are a principal dancer in your favorite company. Then stand in front of the mirror every day and say, "I am a principal dancer." But don't just say it. Believe it. Look yourself in the eyes and really, truly believe it. Then be patient, and wait for your dreams to come true.

That's exactly what Tai Jimenez did before becoming a principal with Dance Theatre of Harlem. She intuitively tried this visualization technique "out of desperation," she says, while feeling overwhelmed as a new company member. But over time she began to read about these practices and how helpful they can be for a variety of issues dancers face.

Visualization, also referred to as imaging, uses the power of the mind to overcome physical, emotional, and psychological obstacles that have a direct impact on performance quality. As long as the goals are realistic, visualization, coupled with practice and determination, can be extremely effective. Following are several examples of what visualization can help with.

Overcoming performance anxiety Dance Magazine columnist Linda Hamilton counsels dancers on how to feel more confident onstage. A simple visualization technique she uses involves the dancer imagining herself performing perfectly. She asks them to feel the power of their legs, hear the orchestra playing, see the audience--anything to make the image more real. "The image has to be specific," says Hamilton. "You can't just say to yourself, 'I'll do my best.' You have to have a mental blueprint of that role in your mind." Then, when showtime comes, the dance has already been done mentally and without a hitch, helping to ease anxiety.

MAGNIFYING STAGE PRESENCE Middle Eastern dancer Myra Krien uses imagery to help fill a performance space. "You can project to the back of the room by visualizing yourself dancing right in front of the very furthest person," she tells the dancers in her Santa ice company, Mosaic. She also imagines that she is dancing through energy fields to deliver a more powerful performance. An alternative image is given by Gigi Berardi, author of Finding Balance: Fitness, Training, and Health for a Lifetime in Dance. "Imagine that you've got lights emanating from your body," she says. "You want people to see you, or why else would you be dancing?"

Healing injuries Martha Eddy, founder and director of Manhattan's Center for Kinesthetic Education, helps patients with pain visualize the anatomy in a problem area, including specific muscles, ligaments, and bones. Then she asks them to tune in to the exact problem tissue so that they can work with the area more precisely. "The goal isn't just to heal," she says. "It's to get back your full expressive ability."

IMPROVING ALIGNMENT Imagine an unopened umbrella in your trunk area. Then slowly feel the umbrella opening, broadening your ribcage and elongating your spine. This is one of the many visualizations recommended by teachers of somatic practices for improving alignment.

Mastering difficult moves If your goal is to do 16 fouettes, says Hamilton, start by imagining yourself doing 4. Try to recapture exactly how it felt the last time you nailed the fouettes in class. Then the next week imagine yourself doing 8, then 12, and then 16. Also remember that imagery helps, but does not work all by itself. "At some point you have to start practicing," says Hamilton.

REHEARSING To help you remember choreography, visualize the dance from beginning to end. Sometimes this can even be more effective than physically rehearsing, since you are consciously engaging your mind in the process.

RELAXING Visualization can be as simple as imagining yourself lying on the beach and taking a nice deep breath. Sometimes that's all you need to relax and improve your performance.

Most of these techniques can be done on a bus, lying in bed at night, or just about anywhere. It is recommended to carve out at least 10 minutes a day in a quiet space. If there is no improvement after a few weeks, try another technique or visit an expert for advice.

Crucial to the success of any visualization practice, according to Jimenez, is to choose goals that are realistic and to stay positive. "You feed a growing plant with love and light," she says. "You don't scream at the plant to get it to grow."

Shayna Samuels is a yoga teacher and writer living in New Mexico.